Ah, yes, that one. That amusingly appeared in the weekly email digest with 155 times more supporters than I'd added that week, right below mine! Now that one's interesting, the name of the creator is the same as a Twitter account for some new episodes of Thunderbirds done using the original production techniques. So it's picking up a lot of traction from tweets from that account, you see. That's why it's shooting up like that, while I have been sailing close to the wind in terms of "spamming" (hardly) forums where I think people might remember the show and have an interest in Lego. I had a bit of a dressing down from a French thread in particular!

I wonder how many supporters it would have got if I'd called it something generic, it's just that Lego would really need to license it to be able to produce it so I thought it best to be up front. If I try something again I'd probably do something more original. Interestingly they've just changed the rules so that you can't submit anything to do with a licence they already have - so all of a sudden the Star Wars ship models have dried up. I can see why they've done it, it'll focus the place on genuinely creative efforts in areas that haven't been hammered to death. So we'll see (previously published Star Wars models are still active).

Imagine that they take onboard the X-Bomber design, what then? We can't submit a Dai-X to go with it?

If they do end up making an official X-Bomber set and it sells well, they'll probably get their in-house designers to do a Dai-X. Once they've got to the stage of entering into a license agreement with the rights holders for the source material, they're no longer really in need of ideas.

Imagine that they take onboard the X-Bomber design, what then? We can't submit a Dai-X to go with it?

If they do end up making an official X-Bomber set and it sells well, they'll probably get their in-house designers to do a Dai-X. Once they've got to the stage of entering into a license agreement with the rights holders for the source material, they're no longer really in need of ideas.

Spot on. You get one stab at something with a licence, then they'd have the option to produce other models off the back of it. Which I'd be perfectly happy with. I've seen the odd Dai-X lego model, but nothing on Ideas oddly. My X-Bomber is the only modern one I know of that's on Lego sites, although we've had a couple shown here over the years. If the X-Bomber doesn't, ah, launch, then someone else could have a stab at something else. Thing is, you see some really technically brilliant models, but I'm starting to realise you really need something behind it in terms of a major fan base to push most things through. There are some Power Rangers sets in review, by way of example.

That is a thought but if someone devised a really good kit of a lesser-known ship from Star Wars (if there are still any) that hadn't been produced already (like the Lady Luck or a mole miner), then why shouldn't those be submitted?

It's not inconceivable either that someone outside Lego could devise a better Dai-X kit.

Could the model be adapted to let a minifig dock? Your Dai-X fighters are about as good as possible to make at that scale, but I think sacrificing the quality of the fighter mode to allow for a combined mecha mode would have greater play value 8)

Lego-Dai-X-fighters.png (822.94 KiB) Viewed 2143 times

Lego-Dai-X-minifig.png (972.38 KiB) Viewed 2143 times

(The minifig CGI model isn't my work, I just created a new texture for it)

Lego even have yellow translucent little blobs and cones that use for engine glow.

Yes, those would be a nice addition. MainBody's engines would need to go in the waist rather than the wrists, but I think that's forgiveable. Another possible addition would be to print a fighter mode version of BrainCom on the back of the head piece.

Wow, Felice on Blender, where did that come from?! It's a great minifigure adaptation. It really is. Unfortunately gone are the days when I had the time to mess around with that sort of thing, but a lot of people do use renders of Lego models on Lego Ideas. I was just old school in wanting to build it physically because otherwise how do you really know if it works? Lego's actually heavy when you put enough of it together!

Hilariously while you were doing that, I did actually reconfigure the top of my model to take a minifigure as you'll see from the latest update to the project here:

This was done with tongue firmly planted in cheek but if I applied what I've learned to date and really went to town on it all I supposed I'd get custom minifigures of all the crew done. It's just the time. Realistically it's never going to reach 10,000 so there's not really any point in taking it further, which is a shame, but it's just too niche I think. I grin like an idiot every time I pick it up, but that's just me and probably very few others!

I suspect I could modify the pods to slot the legs and body into, it'd need a bit of a rework. But Dai-X could then drive the X-Bomber when combined in its adapted mode, which would be entertaining! I rather suspect a Dai-X model would actually do better, there are a few popular projects along those lines on there at the moment but again it's the recognition factor that's tricky. Plus trying to do that at minifigure scale... yeesh...

If it hits 100, and you'd be OK with me using it Felice, I might try and do a Dai-X adaptation of the pods but we'll see how it goes. It's fallen off the pace it needs to get there at the moment, and it's not for want of trying on my part...

I was just old school in wanting to build it physically because otherwise how do you really know if it works?

Yeah, physically building it is far better if you have the option. I guess not everyone has the option, though; Lego isn't cheap. And it's not practical for minifigs, since it's a matter of printing rather than assembling and you can't put a minifig through a regular inkjet. I suppose it would be possible to print stickers for a mockup, though!

If it hits 100, and you'd be OK with me using it Felice, I might try and do a Dai-X adaptation of the pods but we'll see how it goes.

Oh yes, you're absolutely free to make use of the idea, and those two proof-of-concept renders. I don't want any credit or compensation, in the event that it does somehow end up as an official Lego set. Good luck!